My brethren, let us suppose, that it should please God, for the heedlessness of this nation, to deprive us of the privilege and blessing of the Bible; and to declare, that the neglected ministry of His word should be continued no longer: we should undoubtedly regard this as the direst calamity, which could possibly befal us; we should immediately and cheerfully consent to any sacrifice, by which so dreadful a token of divine wrath might be averted. Then let us be consistent; and whilst we do enjoy this invaluable favour of heaven, let it be cherished and improved. Let the gospel, instead of being less precious to us, on account of its universal publication, and its facility of attainment, be therefore prized the more; and while we adore the Lord of mercy for diffusing this heavenly benefit through our dear and native land, let the treasure be laid up in our own bosom: what is intended for the good of all, is intended for the good of each: to bless God for giving the gospel to our country, and to undervalue or neglect it ourselves, is folly and hypocrisy; but too many individuals, amounting indeed to a large portion of our christian community, are guilty of this folly, and thus exposing the land to judgment, thus endangering “the ark of God.” All of _us_, my brethren, do I trust feel thankful to our God and Saviour, who hath honoured us, unworthy as we are, with the revelation of His word, and hath “brought life and immortality to light:” whatever others then may do, let our sense of the gracious gift be undeniably and duly shewn: let us daily have recourse to this holy word, as “the lamp of our feet and the light of our paths:” be it our constant prayer for the spirit of God to open our eyes that we may understand, and our hearts that we may reverence, the wonders of His holy law; that it may be the object and study of our lives, to walk in all those means of grace, which it holds forth for our redemption from sin and death; for our safe passage through this transitory world of trial, to an eternal world of happiness and glory beyond the grave. If we hear and read and mark and learn, in the spirit of devotion and prayer, we shall continually find new treasures of mercy opening to our view; new and unlooked-for stores of knowledge; new affections and dispositions; new hopes and prospects, in the promises of the blessed Jesus: the word will be a blessing to us through life and even to our journey’s end; a sure guide amid the dangers of prosperity, a powerful support in the day of trouble, an inconceivable comfort when we die. But if we prize it not in life, how can we expect consolation from it in death? On the contrary, our spirits will be weighed down by the grievous remembrance of inexcusable neglect. Be wise in time; lay up in store the good foundation: the word, having been all along precious, will be increasing in value to the last; even until it leads us to the “open vision” of eternal day.